The Adventure of the Koreshan State Park

Worried about flipping the canoe the entire trip, my experience at the Koreshan State park was more of a personal accomplishment for me.  I have never been canoeing before and experiencing it for the first time was very exciting. I was astonished by just learning the mechanics of how to paddle and maneuver the canoe to avoid tree branches. I was introduced to a new activity that I could not wait to tell my girlfriend and make sure that we would be participating in canoeing for our next date; most likely at the Koreshan State Park.  Even with the minor casualty of two spiders that my canoeing partner Alex and I had, we managed to do a great job not flipping the boat and remaining calm throughout the entire trip.

Moreover I was fascinated by the nature walk and just seeing how the Koreshan civilization lived and developed a town within Estero, Fort Myers. There was a lot of history within the state park and it was fun learning about them. Some of the structures that stood out to me were the houses, fountain, and even the dinner bell that they used to symbolize that a meal was prepared. I was also interested in the forms of entertainment they used within their society. The Koreshans were more of a fancy society and their entertainment would consist of plays, canoeing, gardening, and even painting. The Koreshan State Park is a piece of Fort Myer's history that should be acknowledged and appreciated more often.


(First Koreshan House)

The kind of plants that stood out to me on the trip were the air potatoes, bamboo trees, and a lot of palm trees that are very sturdy during hurricane seasons. Some of the animals that I saw on this trip
were a lot of red herons, spiders, and a few and a habitat for beavers. Although I saw a few of those animals, the most common species that I observed were birds.  I would guess that most of the other animal species that inhabits this state park were probably hiding due to the active presence of a lot of people touring the site. However, I believe that more species would have came out at times people are not present at Koreshan State Park; for example the alligators. Knowing that alligators were probably present in the water that we were canoeing on, due to the active presence of humans we did not see any alligators during the tour.

(Hurricane sturdy Palm trees)

Some of the class topics the Koreshan State Park can be related to are ecosystem services and land usage. The Koreshan used the land very well for developing homes, art museums, and even growing food. The lake was not only used as a form of transportation both upstream and downstream, but also as a canoe drive-in for performed plays. The land usage was sustainable toward their development as a society and very ecofriendly to the environment. Some of the ecosystem services that the land provided them was a habitat, transportation, food, and just development within their advanced society. A lot of the materials they used for building were from nature and the food provided for meals were mostly grown and harvested. For example the sausage tree that was a main part of most of the Koreshan's meals.


(Location used for drive-in plays)

At first, never being to a historic state park before I never really saw the point in going to one. It was after visiting the Koreshan State Park that made me realize that it is important to preserve the park's natural and historic settings. Having this historic park allows not only foreign travelers, but also people who live within the Estero area to learn about how that part of Fort Myers was developed. This historic site has a lot of significant history such as the lake that connects to the Happahatchee center's lake, and just the way they used the land tells a lot about the history and development of Estero, Fort Myers. Preserving the Koreshan State Park can provide a sense of place for residents of the Estero area and visitors as well.